“Before someone’s tomorrow has been taken away, cherish those you love, appreciate them today.” ~Michelle C. Ustaszeski
Most of us are really good at finding reasons to wait.
We wait to call good friends we miss because we assume we’ll have plenty of time.
We wait to tell people how we really feel because we hope it will someday feel safer.
We wait to forgive the people who’ve hurt us because we believe they should reach out first.
We wait to apologize for the things we’ve done because we feel too stubborn or ashamed to admit fault.
If we’re not careful, we can spend our whole lives making excuses, holding off until a better time, only to eventually realize that time never came.
It sounds morbid to acknowledge that our days here limited, and it’s scary to realize that none of us can ever know how many we have.
But we can know that in our final moments, it’s unlikely we’ll say, “I wish I waited longer,” or “I wish I stayed angry longer,” or “I wish I played it safe longer.”
Most of us will get to the end of our lives and say, “I’m sorry.” “I forgive you.” Or, “I love you.”
Of course, there’s another option: We can say those things right now.
We can appreciate the people we love in action instead of distracting ourselves with everyday worries. We can be brave in expressing our thoughts and feelings instead of over-analyzing and talking ourselves out of it. We can decide for ourselves what truly matters and honor it while we have the chance.
This is our chance to live and love. This moment is our only guaranteed opportunity to be thoughtful, compassionate, understanding, forgiving, and kind to the people we value.
It might be terrifying. It might require humility. It might seem like it’s not a priority.
We owe it to ourselves to acknowledge it is, and to do something about it instead of building up reasons to regret.
What have you been meaning to do or say—and what are you waiting for?
Photo by Jun Acullador
About Lori Deschene
Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha. She started the site after struggling with depression, bulimia, c-PTSD, and toxic shame so she could recycle her former pain into something useful and inspire others do the same. She recently created the Breaking Barriers to Self-Care eCourse to help people overcome internal blocks to meeting their needs—so they can feel their best, be their best, and live their best possible life. If you’re ready to start thriving instead of merely surviving, you can learn more and get instant access here.
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